Introduction

photo courtesy of Pavol Jozef Safarik University Faculty of Science

Seriously keen on science, therefore, resulting in high-quality education at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (UPJŠ) ranked among the best three in the country. Founded in 1963, the Faculty of Science, has educated over 6 000 graduates of both, joint and single degree studies. Currently, over 350 Bachelor’s, Masters’s, and Doctoral students graduate each year in disciplines that impact lives today and will shape our future. We are open to provide this opportunity also to international students who enjoy also the compactness of Košice being a historical European city dominated by young people, culture, and sport.

Faculty profile

UPJŠ is a research-based university generating its highest level of scientific knowledge by a vibrant community of young researchers in collaboration with their supervisors. Faculty of Science is the strongest contributor to the research outputs of the university. Our ambition is to provide specialized and highly trained researchers for fundamental scientific research and its application in Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, Geography, Informatics, Mathematics, Physics, and Science Education. The Faculty is organized in 6 scientific institutes that comprise departments.

Research Focus

The research in Biology and Ecology focuses on biodiversity of plants and animals, biotechnology of medicinal plants, prevention, and cancer therapy, and plant genetics; in Geography on geospatial modelling of solar energy in urban space, soil erosion, demogeography, population migration and application of remote sensing from satellites and drones; in Chemistry on synthesis and properties of new compounds as biologically active species and new materials with biological activity, hydrogen storage, development of batteries; in Informatics on fuzzy techniques, artificial intelligence, and machine learning; in Mathematics on graph theory, algebraic structures, differential equations, topology and big data analysis; in Physics on development of new magnetic materials, theoretical and experimental research of low-dimensional magnetism and quantum liquids at ultra-low temperatures, nuclear collision studies, photo-dynamic effect, astrophysics, and biophysics; in Science Education on active learning methods, inquiry skills development and formative assessment.

photo courtesy of Pavol Jozef Safarik University Faculty of Science

Addressing Global Challenges

Through our education and research, we strive to address some of the world’s greatest challenges such as green energy, nanotechnologies, artificial intelligence, big data analysis, climate change, cybersecurity, or cancer. This has resulted in new treatments for patients, new design of electric batteries and intelligent materials, Earth observation in high-resolution and greater levels of data and food protection.

Faculty Institutes

Institute of Biology and Ecology

Institute of Chemistry

Institute of Geography

Institute of Computer Science

Institute of Mathematics

Institute of Physics

Our study in all three levels of university education is based on the inverse pyramid of knowledge and skills. The Bachelor’s degree aims to develop fundamental knowledge and scientific skills in 7 major scientific disciplines. The students can specialise on particular scientific branches in the Master’s degree in 19 programmes. The highest scientific specialisation is developed in one of the 22 doctoral study programmes when the graduates become valuable experts in their discipline. The joint degree of the bachelor level provides an opportunity to study a combination of two subjects. The student can opt for specialising on one of the disciplines on the master level or continue with the combination in the Teaching of academic subjects to become a school teacher.

Single degree Bachelor’s (BSc.) study programmes (3 years):

Joint degree Bachelor’s (BSc.) study programmes:

Combination of two subjects from Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Informatics, Physics, Mathematics, or other subjects of the Faculty of Arts (e.g., History, Psychology, Philosophy, English, German, Slovak). The graduate can take a masters' degree teaching study programme or single degree masters' programme.

The teaching of Academic Subjects

Joint (two-subject) teachers´ study program in a combination of two subjects from the following: Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Mathematics, Physics, and Informatics or other subjects of the Faculty of Arts (e.g., History, Psychology, Philosophy, English, German, Slovak). Graduates are prepared as teachers for primary and secondary education. They can also work at universities, scientific and research institutions.

Doctoral study (PhD.) programmes (4 years):

Biology and Ecology:

Genetics

Animal Physiology

Molecular Cytology

Plant Physiology

General Ecology

Chemistry:

Analytical Chemistry

Biochemistry

Inorganic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry

Physical Chemistry

Geography:

Geoinformatics (GIS) and Remote Sensing

Mathematics and Information Science:

Informatics

Discrete Mathematics

Applied Mathematics

Physics:

Condensed Matter Physics

Theoretical Physics

Astrophysics

Biophysics

Nuclear and Sub-nuclear Physics

Modern Materials

Science Education:

Theory of Mathematics Teaching

Theory of Physics Teaching

Admission

Bachelor’s programs (equivalent to BSc.) require prospective students to have completed secondary education. The deadline for the submission of an application is 31 March each year.

Magister’s(equivalent to MSc.) programs require prospective students to have completed a Bachelor’s study. The entrance exam can be required by the academic board for a given program depending on the results and scientific focus of the previous study. The deadline for the submission of an application is 30 June each year.

Doctoral (PhD.) programs require the candidates to have completed a Master’s study and successfully passing an entrance interview which is organized in the last two weeks of June each year. The deadline for the submission of an application is 31 May each year.

Fees and Funding

Application forms need to be submitted either by post or online. Bachelor and Master programmes require to pay an application fee of 40 EUR (send by post) or 20 EUR (submitted online). The application fee for doctoral study programmes is 50 EUR.

The study in Bachelor’s and Magister’s programmes in the Slovak language is free of charge for domestic citizens, EU citizens and citizens of third countries. The study in the English language is subject to a tuition fee of 3,000 EURO per academic year (1,500 EUR per semester). We provide Slovak language courses for international students free of charge.

Students of Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes are eligible for motivation stipends (ca. 1400 EUR anually) if they belong to the 20% best students in their study programme. The students can also apply for a research or technical job position within their field at the faculty (1200 EUR anually).

The doctoral study is financially supported by providing funding (stipend) for students. Each year the University allocates a certain number of PhD. positions for each doctoral study programme. These positions are eligible for funding of ca. 10,000 EUR annually per student. More doctoral students than this number of funded positions can be admitted only as self-payers. Such a study is subject to a tuition fee of 5,000 EUR per academic year (2,500 EUR per semester) and no state funding is applicable. The PhD. study is taught in Slovak or English with no impact on tuition fees at the Faculty of Science.

We also welcome students within mobility exchange schemes such as Erasmus+, Ceepus, SAIA, Cotutelle and others following the conditions of the schemes and the candidates should contact the International Relations and Scientific Research Office before sending an application.

Career Prospects

The graduates of the Faculty of Science enter the job market with hard and soft skills supported by strong theoretical knowledge and practical experience. They easily find employment as innovators and creative employees in academia, researcher institutions, business and public administration. Students of programmes for teaching educate young generation on primary and secondary schools.

Accommodation

The University has over 1,700 accommodation places in its facilities and 450 places in the leased accommodation facilities of external contractual partners. The allocation of places to the candidates is transparently regulated by the House and the Accommodation Rules, according to which the entire accommodation capacity was divided among university students regardless of the study programme and the Faculty they are studying at. The Accommodation was allocated to all the applicants with severe disabilities, as well as to all the applicants - students of the third level of education. The cost of university accommodation varies between 60-90 EUR per month. Accommodation in private apartments in Košice varies from 150-250 EUR per month.

City and Region

Košice is the second-largest city in Slovakia with almost 240,000 inhabitants and thousands commuting every day for work, study or leisure. The City has always been a natural centre of business, culture, and education. The business routes leading from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean have been crossing here ever since the Middle Ages. Numerous rich archaeological sites are preserved in the surroundings of the city proving the settlement of the region since the Stone Age. "Villa Cassa" gradually transformed into a city thanks to its favorable location, royal privileges, immigrants, and flourishing crafts.

Today, Košice is the city of the young generation with over 20,000 students. Many of them find jobs in IT business which is the fastest growing industry in the region providing jobs for over 11,000 employees. The rich history and promising future attract thousands of visitors coming to the city every year utilizing major railway, road, and air connections. The Košice International Airport handles over 500,000 passengers annually. The city is within 3 - 4 hours drive by bus or car from other international airports in Budapest or Krakow with many European and worldwide connections.

How to Apply

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